No More Body Judgement

I've been wanting to write something here, but now that classes have started again, all my writing time is dedicated to essays, responses, and tests. I'm grateful that this morning I'm getting to sneak some non-academic writing before going back to work.

Today's post is about nourishment and gratitude, and while I know these are sort of "buzzwords" right now, I really hope that you take them to heart. I recently discovered Thrive Through Yoga by Nicola Jane Hobbs, and going through the daily exercises (which include a meditation and a yoga practice) has been helping me to see life through a softer lens. Nicola refers to OCD and eating disorders as "cosy little hell[s]." Such a description couldn't be more accurate! I've talked about the "little hate hole" before, and a "cosy little hell" is very similar: both are easy places to get stuck in, and they seem familiar, but they're insidiously sucking the "you" out of your life.

Compassion--for yourself and for the world around you--is emphasized by Thrive Through Yoga (and by yoga in general), and remembering compassion has aided me in breaking free from negative thinking loops. The fact of the matter is that we're surrounded by stimuli that have the potential to make us feel badly. Opening a magazine, for instance, can trigger thoughts of comparison, low self-esteem, and self-criticism. I love Free People's bohemian aesthetic, but I have to admit that sometimes their ads make me start worrying about how I look. I'm glad that brands like Aerie are starting to take more of an inclusive approach to advertising, and I really like the #AerieReal campaign because it features a more diverse range of models. When we're exposed to a beauty spectrum as opposed to a beauty ideal, we aren't as hard on ourselves, and we recognize that all bodies are unique and special and valuable.

Found on Soon to be RD

A major roadblock in eating disorder recovery is body judgement. Allowing our bodies to be their healthiest selves is essential to recovery, but we've been living by a list of rules for so long that proper nourishment and relaxation feel "unnatural." When we eat enough and finally release the need to "work everything off," we may experience anxiety and worry. What will happen to us if we eat "normally"? How will we survive without creating a deficit? There are so many hypothetical catastrophes in our heads that we're tempted to give up on recovery and return to the familiarity of disordered eating and overexercising.

PLEASE, do not give into that temptation! Forgive yourself if you relapse or consider relapsing, but remember that the ultimate goal is to be healthy, not to look x way or weigh y amount. There isn't a "wrong way" to have a body. 

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